Better late then never....

Thanks to the ministrations of Grandma Bowcut (and an assist by Gma Floyd), last week Allyson learned how to go down stairs the right way (i.e., not falling down head over heels...)

Here she is taking a well-deserved break.....with Kenner....which is really no break at all.....

An Assist....

I was working in the kitchen on Saturday when I heard Allyson on the baby monitor. She was awake.

Cameron was in watching TV, and he offered to go get her.

A couple minutes later he was still watching TV.

Makenna was at the table, so I sang out, "Cameron, if you won't get Allyson, I'll have Makenna get her!"

Makenna replied brightly, "I'll get her Daddy!"

The next sound was Cameron zooming for the stairs.

Makenna raced as far as the stairs, and then sauntered back to the table.

As she sat back down, full of self-satisfaction she said to herself, "Well, that takes care of that!"

Obviously she had never had any intention of getting Allyson--she just went towards the stairs to get Cameron moving!

Sweet Misery

Upon being reminded that today was Fast Sunday, Erin got a bit moody at first, but within 5 seconds she was asking, 'Where's Cameron? Where's Cameron?'

She found him in the frontroom and I was able to hear her taking great pleasure in telling him, 'Today is Fast Sunday Cameron. Now that you have been baptized you have to fast! No breakfast for you!'

Seldom have I seen such joy on Erin's face on a Sunday morning!

The Musings of Makenna

Our sweet Makenna pulls no punches....

To a lady up the street: "Your shirt isn't very modest."

A week or so ago, when it was mentioned that Cameron would be 'perfect' right after he got baptized: "Well, that sure won't last very long!"

Yesterday--the day Grandma Floyd was arriving: "Ohhhh! Grandma Floyd will make us all be slaves!"

Offhand remark made to Aunt Den-Den during Cameron's baptism service when one of the missionaries was giving a short talk and urging Cameron and the other boy to try to be as good as they could: "He won't....He never has." When asked if she would do her best to be good after she was baptized, she gushed, "Oh yes! Of course!"

Madonna with Child

Just for your viewing pleasure!

Best Mother in the World, Part 5,435,378 (and counting!)

Cindy created the following little amphibians for Cameron to take to school to celebrate his birthday.



Yes, she has quite the reputation, and she is always able to outdo herself every time!

Scout's Honor

Well, tonight it is official--Cameron is a true Cub Scout! And his first den meeting consisted of a hike around the lake at Carriage Hill Farm.



(Notice the missing front tooth!)

As an aside, he ate 3 helpings of Cindy's chicken enchiladas, so he is well on his way to showing by example that a Scout is always hungry!

A restful (?) 3-day weekend

Overall, it was a great Memorial Day weekend.

In no particular order....
1. On Friday afternoon we learned that church (and thus our talks) was cancelled, removing a lot of stress from our lives.
2. On Friday night, I bought Erin a bike, then helped a ward member move. The members there were in awe of my talk-avoidance powers!
3. On Saturday I helped the guy from work who is fixing up the house 2 houses up from ours use a jack-hammer on some concrete. (I am still kinda sore three days later!) I also borrowed his jet washer and cleaned up the driveway and sidewalks--they are now about 5 shades lighter!
4. Between Friday and Monday night I made 4 batches of really tasty beef jerky.
5. Cindy's parents arrived Sunday evening.
6. We got some long-needed rain on Saturday and Sunday.
7. On Monday Cameron and I went on a 4-mile bike ride--a little b-day present for him.
8. On Monday the kids went to their first semi-pro baseball game ever!
9. Cameron enjoyed a great birthday. I enjoyed the ribeyes fresh off the grill!
10. And now (Tuesday night), Cameron's left front tooth finally got loose enough for me to pull it out!

Cameron's B-Day

Cameron celebrated his 8th birthday in style!

Grilled steaks, a bug cake, homemade ice cream, and 'Heelie' shoes and lots of other presents.

Game Day!

My company had 70 tickets for the 'party deck' at a Dayton Dragons game (a Cincinnati Reds feeder team), and so the entire family and Gpa and Gma Bowcut were able to take in a double-header, with lunch and free drinks provided! (Erin was in heaven!)



I figured the kids would be bored after the first 15 minutes, but Erin and Cameron stuck thru the first game and we had to pull them away after 3 innings into the second game--and that was only because I enticed them with birthday cake and homemade ice cream!

They got to see it all--stolen bases, home runs, broken bats, two bats that slipped out of hands and went into the stands, fly balls, walks, strikeouts, and even an inside-the-park homerun!



The highlight of the first game was when Ally was one of three toddlers chosen to go out onto the field for a little race. Ally was all ready to get down and get racin', but once they put a helmet on her she just wanted it off! (She's in red.) In the end, instead of heading for Cindy she headed for one of the helpers who was calling her by name as she cheered her on.



A great day!

Wheel-less

Today Cameron was banned from bikes, skateboards, skates, and most any other wheeled plaything (though we allowed him to ride the tiny trike he was desperate enough to try out).

It was gratifying to find a punishment that really chafed him!

Peeping Toms

As we went on a family walk around the neighborhood, the kids were enthralled by the scintillating family conversations and togetherness.

No wait. That would be some other family.

In OUR family the kids stopped at every storm drain along the route to peep into the holes, looking for animal life. (There was a cute black cat in the one nearest our house--the kids swore it was a raccoon or owl because of its big yellow eyes, but I was able to correctly identify it. Yes, I had to get on my knees and peep too!)

Everything else was usual--Cameron was trying to find sticks to skewer his sisters, Erin offered to push Allyson's stroller and then 2 minutes later got bored and handed her off, Makenna was pleasant, and Allyson was happy as can be.

The inevitable....

Well, after putting it off for a good 2 years, I finally took Erin and bought her a new bike.

I had managed to put this off by equipping her with an $8 bike from a yardsale across the street, but the gears aren't working well, and it is getting small.

She is now the proud owner of a purple 26" 7-speed, with easy-shifting gears. She especially likes the cushy seat!

Eerie Similarities--Slick Nick, the Revenge!

It has become a nightly ritual.

Cindy and I get the kids tucked neatly in bed, and then about 5 minutes later Erin comes moseying out, carrying a couple books.

Her destination?

The bathroom.

Her mission?

To log some time on the throne. (Or would it be 'time some log?'[would that be a 'log time sum'???], or, if it were especially spectacular, would it perhaps be 'Some log time!!'?])

I probably need to make a small bookcase for her that neatly sits on top of the tank!

The Curse of Louis Strikes Again!

Two weeks ago Cindy and I got a call asking us to give talks at church on May 27th. We accepted, but before I hung the phone up I explained to the counselor that in the last 4 times I have been asked to speak, I have only actually given a talk on the specified day once—an ice storm, a snow storm, and a long-winded missionary speaker had previously led to a postponement (usually of several months). I added that he should expect some very inclement weather or some other phenomena that would lead to either church being cancelled, or, that the speakers would go long and I wouldn’t have time to speak.

He just chuckled.

Today we were informed that church would be cancelled this Sunday (i.e., May 27th)—they are refinishing the gym and the smell is overpowering.

Now it is my turn to chuckle!

And chuckle.

And chuckle some more.

Not to mention the cartwheels of joy that Cindy is doing at home!

A pit by any other name smells just as ......

Erin and Cindy attended a ward 'Classical Recital' on Friday night. Cindy was a bit late because I got stuck in a meeting at work, so they ended up sitting on the back row. This ended up being very fortunate.

As Cindy tells it, during a singing number Cindy had her arm around Erin, and Erin turned towards her, sniffed a couple times, and then commented, "Are you wearing deodorant?! I knew you were! Gross! It stinks!"

Cindy sang back, "It'd smell a lot worse if I wasn't wearing it. I'll bet mine smell better than yours!"

Erin, ever an exemplar of decorum, then raised her own arm high and took a long sniff.

One of the duetists noticed this while looking out on the audience, and cracked a grin. Cindy hissed, 'Erin, put your arm down--Sis. _____ sees you!'

And out of further decorum on my part, I won't mention the fact that Erin's feet usually smell like a skunk factory.

Cameron: The Interview

No, this does not refer to an exclusive interview with Cameron Diaz (though SHREK3 did open up this weekend).
Rather, it was Cameron's baptismal interview with the bishop.

After some small-talk, where the bishop actually got Cameron to tell him his birthday, the bishop asked Cameron if he would say a prayer.

Cameron did his usual look-at-the-floor-and-squirm routine, and the bishop asked him if he wanted his dad to say it instead. He got a small smile, and then, instead of replying, he pointed at me and spontaneously combusted into chortles of glee (I guess he enjoyed this form of 'turnabout is fair play').

Cameron passed his interview, and the big date is June 2.

An exclusive follow-up

This evening Allyson was a bit clingy to Cindy as she was fixing her dinner, so I went in to take Allyson off her hands.

As you might expect, Allyson had her two fingers in her mouth and the other hand inside Cindy's shirt (see the post below). When I extended my arms to offer a loving embrace, she turned around and shied away.

Thinking quickly, I undid two button on my white shirt and showed my hairy chest and thus a place inside my shirt for her hand to rest.

She came right over!

Should I be pleased, or worried?
(Should Cindy be pleased, or worried?)

Hickory-smoked

Our ward had a Father and Son campout on Friday, and it was one of the best ever--I didn't have to go looking for Cameron and could instead focus on some dutch oven cooking (pizza and then peach/pear cobbler).
Here is the approximate time line:
Friday:
5:30 PM: Cameron takes some matches and gets a fire going in the big pit.
6:30 PM: Cameron is still feeding the fire and lighting sticks.
7:30 PM~11:15 PM: See above.



Saturday:
7:00 AM: See above.
8:00 AM: Tried a hand at fishing. No action, so back to camp.
8:45 AM: Ate a quick breakfast, then back to the fire.
9:15 AM: Full of vigor and vim as he helps put out the fire.
9:30 AM: Went home.


I've made jerky that wasn't as smokey as he was!

Weaners and tots

Two days ago Cindy finally put the kibosh on Ally's free milk supply. It appears that Ally used her 8 front teeth to practice an 'Ally-gator' clamp-down and refused to de-clamp.
Cindy was not amused.
However, Allyson still has other things to pacify her in her insecure moments. Aside from the inevitable two fingers in her mouth, she also now likes to put her hand in Cindy's shirt.
And just like for her two fingers, this latest movement is now a completely unconscious act.
The following is a rather half-hearted effort on Ally's part....